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South China Morning Post

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Hong Kong braces for heat, showers as tropical depression passes nearby

Hong Kong’s weather forecaster is monitoring a tropical depression that has formed within 800km (497 miles) of the city, but says it is unlikely to issue a typhoon warning signal. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Thursday that an area of low pressure over the northeastern part of the South China Sea had intensified into a tropical depression, which was centred about 530km south-southwest of Kaohsiung and expected to move towards the vicinity of Taiwan. It is forecast to move northeast on...

South China Morning Post

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Thai ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra granted royal pardon to mark queen’s birthday

Thailand’s former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has met the conditions for a royal pardon as part of clemency measure marking the queen’s birthday, the justice minister said on Wednesday. Thaksin, 76, served eight months of a one-year sentence for corruption and abuse of power before he was released on parole last month due to his age. The Department of Corrections said the ex-leader was required to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of his release. Justice Minister...

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Child neglect case 'mind-boggling': lawmaker

A lawmaker on Wednesday called a controversial child neglect case "mind-boggling", saying he couldn't understand how the parents would leave their newborn without a birth certificate or any medical records. The parents were arrested on Tuesday after the case went viral online as they refused DNA testing to prove their relationship with the baby following a home birth. Speaking on an RTHK programme, Peter Koon, who chairs Legco's social welfare panel, says the baby's safety is what matters most – and a court could issue a protection order if the parents are found unfit to care for him. "Following the issuance of a child protection order, the baby could be sent to a facility that specialises in caring for newborns," he said. "As for who becomes the guardian, that really depends on the court's order. But theoretically, temporary guardianship could be granted to the Director of Social Welfare." Speaking on the same programme, Patrick Ip, a paediatrics professor at the University of Hong Kong, said he's worried about the baby's health. "This case makes me uneasy. The parents had two other children — neither went smoothly. One of them died young. Was there a problem with the way they cared for them?" he questioned. "For this newborn without a birth certificate, there's no way to get proper vaccinations or health monitoring. This is very far from ideal." The Social Welfare Department said it is seeking a protection order for the infant from the court, adding it will come up with a plan that puts the baby's health and interests first. Edited by Tony Sabine

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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3,600 buildings in line for IoT fire-detection system

The Fire Services Department is seeking to expand usage of the Internet of Things (IoT) fire detection system to about 3,600 buildings in Hong Kong following satisfactory results in a pilot scheme. The scheme saw wireless integrated detection systems installed in common areas and within all units in 10 buildings of no more than six storeys high during a three-month period, with fire extinguishers provided on each floor. Upon detecting carbon monoxide and heavy smoke up to certain levels, detectors would trigger a fire alarm and send signals directly to the Fire Services Communications Centre. The system has achieved 100 percent uptime with no false fire alarms sounding off during the pilot scheme period, as well as a component operational rate of 99.95 percent. Speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, division officer Simon Sze, who works on building improvement strategy and special operations, said the system would serve, from now on, as an alternative to the currently adopted fire hose reel and manual fire alarm system – which is subject to structural and space constraints. He also said the IoT system can report suspected fire incidents quicker, helping to save lives. "If a fire breaks out and heavy smoke accumulates, the detectors will activate after 60 seconds and trigger the reporting process, and firefighters will start to arrive at the scene," Sze said. "As for reporting the incident manually, this is subject to different situations, such as whether the incident occurred at night when everyone is asleep, or if there is anyone in the unit. "It is difficult to compare directly how quickly a fire will be noticed, but we believe the automatic detection system can report a fire quicker." Sze said a fire drill, carried out as part of a performance test, showed that the system "met expectations". In case of a malfunction, a central monitoring system is in place for all detectors via the service provider, enabling maintenance and repair work to be carried out within a short period of time, he said. Sze said installation fees of the IoT system was about HK$200,000 per building, about one-third the cost of traditional fire-safety systems. He also pointed out that the IoT system is subject to yearly checks by the department and will have to follow current reporting protocols in case of a system shutdown. Edited by Edmond Fong

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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Calls for greater transparency in permit-quota review

A think tank said on Wednesday that the government should provide more details on how often it plans to adjust a quota system for ride-hailing permits to offer the market greater transparency. Authorities have proposed rolling out up to 10,000 permits in the first phase. Assistant research director Jason Leung from the Our Hong Kong Foundation described it as "a prudent quota, but a tight one", given the city's 18,000 licensed taxis. Leung also said the government should offer the public more information about the quota review system. "To make that review clause credible, it should pre-commit to specific and measurable figures," he said. "For instance, if citywide peak-hour booking success rates drop below a defined threshold, or if average waiting times exceed a set benchmark, at which point the quota is automatically, or there's a mechanism for it to be raised. "So a regular, perhaps quarterly review, guided by objective metrics, would give passengers and platforms the confidence that the 10,000 number is not a completely unchangeable one, that it can be adjusted in the future based on real-life metrics." The government has proposed a HK$1.2 million annual licence fee for platform operators, which Leung said is not a significant amount for larger operators offering hundreds of thousands of trips each month. "It can be easily absorbed into operational costs, so it's not a barrier to a major operator. "But if you are talking about smaller operators or new entrants to the market, it could be potentially burdensome, especially for emerging platforms with limited revenues." He said the government could set up a tiered or revenue-linked fee structure to allow smaller platforms to operate. On top of monitoring operational data to be shared by platforms, Leung said authorities should track the metrics of taxi in evaluating how they perform, so as to better assess whether ride-hailing services and cabbies co-exist. Edited by Edmond Fong

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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'WHO gives high score to HK's tobacco control efforts'

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau on Wednesday said the city would continue to study various tobacco control policies, after the World Health Organisation (WHO) gave "high scores" to the city's efforts in recent years. The remarks came after the global body last week awarded its "World No Tobacco Day Award" to Lo, in recognition of the city's tobacco control progress, while raising public awareness over the harms from smoking. "World No Tobacco Day" falls on May 31, and the WHO selects individuals or organisations each year from members of each of the six WHO regions that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in tobacco controls for the award. Speaking in an exclusive interview with RTHK, Lo noted the city's smoking rate fell from 9.1 percent in 2023 to 8.5 percent last year, and that the city's efforts in regulating alternative tobacco products have been successful. "Actually this award is definitely not for one individual, it's a recognition of Hong Kong's efforts in controlling tobacco, especially the work done in recent years," he said. "Of course managing the overall smoking rate is one of their considerations, but [they also look at whether] there are also new innovative measures or control measures for alternative products, such as e-cigarettes. These are their focus areas," he added. Separately, the health minister said the implementation of the city's current 10 tobacco control measures has been smooth over the past few months. This includes banning the possession or usage of alternative tobacco products such as vapes in public areas, a regulation which took effect at the end of last month. Lo said authorities have already ramped up inspections at smoking hot spots, and recorded 39 violation cases over the past month — all from local citizens who possessed a small amount of alternative tobacco and were fined. "We pay attention particularly to crowded areas and areas where we have observed a large number of people using alternative smoking products in public spaces, such as footbridges. These are the areas where we'll ramp up inspections and monitoring," he said. "But we don't want to require a large number of staff from the anti-smoking department to chase after people to issue warnings in these areas. We hope that our citizens will develop a mindset to obey the law so that the number of warning tickets issued will gradually decrease," he added. Lo also noted since the import of alternative cigarettes was prohibited in 2022, the city has so far seen nearly 4,000 violations, with half of the cases being successfully prosecuted. Looking ahead, Lo said the city would continue to refer to policies recommended by WHO as well as that elsewhere to further manage smoking, such as the "smoke-free generation" legislation in the UK, which bans the sale of tobacco products to people born after January 2009. Edited by Tony Sabine

RTHK News (Hong Kong)

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'Ride-hailing services to complement cabbies'

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan on Wednesday said she believes the proposed regulatory regime for ride-hailing services will complement the taxi industry. The government has proposed issuing up to 10,000 vehicle permits in the first phase. Chan expects to invite interested platforms to file applications as soon as August this year, and they could start operating as soon as the end of November. She stressed that she wants the regime to be rolled out gradually. “As a start, we would like to take a prudent, careful approach to ensure that our proposed regulatory regime will be achieved and implemented in a safe, smooth and progressive manner,” Chan said. She noted that Hong Kong’s situation is unique – about 90 percent of the residents opt for public transportation – but the government also values the public’s travel experience. Chan believes that ride-hailing platforms could also include taxis to offer appointment services. The current cap, she said, was proposed after balancing various considerations. But Chan added the government would adjust the quota when necessary by closely monitoring the operational data from ride-hailing platforms. “Once we issue licences for one or two or more platform operators in future, we will impose requirements for the operators to submit and share and store the relevant operational data, and to share it with the Transport Department,” she said. “I believe that our mechanism and our review should be based on data and should take into account the various operating indicators.” Edited by Tony Sabine

South China Morning Post

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Iran restores partial internet access after record months-long blackout

Iran started restoring access to the internet – a sign that the longest shutdown of its kind in history is easing amid a diplomatic push to end the war with the US. Monitoring group NetBlocks said there was a “partial restoration” on Tuesday after 88 days of near-total blackout on the national network, showing connectivity had risen from close to zero to around 35 per cent of typical levels. “In line with the esteemed President’s mission and in fulfilment of the government’s promise, the first...

South China Morning Post

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Can China’s AI-powered food monitoring avoid US military-style meal complaints?

Images of sparse meals aboard naval vessels deployed in the United States’ war on Iran are a reminder that keeping military forces supplied with adequate food has been a problem for thousands of years. The photos came to light after a crew member from the USS Abraham Lincoln shared them with family in the US, sparking a dispute between personnel, their families and the Pentagon, along with complaints about inadequate food, despite official claims of more than 30 days’ supply on board. Meanwhile,...

South China Morning Post

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Japan to scour social media in hunt for visa overstayers, illegal foreign workers

Japan’s immigration authorities plan to crack down on visa overstayers and illegal foreign workers by monitoring social media and other platforms for information or leads. The initiative is part of the country’s efforts to reduce the number of overstayers at a time when Japan is taking in more foreign workers due to labour shortages. As early as next year, the Immigration Services Agency plans to use analytical tools to identify online information related to illegal work, including solicitations...

South China Morning Post

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Ebola spreads in eastern Congo as contact tracing falters

Ebola is spreading faster than responders can track it in eastern Congo, where health workers managed to follow up with barely one in five identified contacts in a single day. Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reported 83 confirmed infections, 746 suspected cases and 1,603 identified contacts as of May 21, according to the health ministry. Yet health workers were able to follow up with only 342 contacts that day – about 21 per cent of the total under monitoring – according to...

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Hong Kong braces for heat, showers as tropical depression passes nearby

Thai ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra granted royal pardon to mark queen’s birthday

Child neglect case 'mind-boggling': lawmaker

3,600 buildings in line for IoT fire-detection system

Calls for greater transparency in permit-quota review

'WHO gives high score to HK's tobacco control efforts'

'Ride-hailing services to complement cabbies'

Iran restores partial internet access after record months-long blackout

Can China’s AI-powered food monitoring avoid US military-style meal complaints?

Japan to scour social media in hunt for visa overstayers, illegal foreign workers

Ebola spreads in eastern Congo as contact tracing falters